WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- The compound in chili peppers that makes them hot, capsaicin, has been known to kill prostate cancer cells for about a decade. Researchers have moved closer to a way of using the molecule in cancer treatment by figuring out how it works, they report in a new study.
Capsaicin is already employed medically in pain relief creams, such as Capzasin and Theragen, used for arthritis, backaches and strains. A recent study in China found it can lower the risk of death from cancer, heart and respiratory diseases.